Pair of former SF Giants prospects to have precarious hold on roster spot next spring

It was not that long ago that the SF Giants expected Marco Luciano and Luis Matos to be part of the next wave of prospects in San Francisco. Now, they will enter next spring with a precarious hold on a roster spot, as they will have likely exhausted all their option years.

Pair of former SF Giants prospects to have precarious hold on roster spot next spring

I say likely because teams will often request a fourth option year for players. That is granted on a case-by-case basis, but it does happen.

According to the rule, Luciano and Matos have burned three option years apiece. Each player has spent at least 20 days in the minors on an optional assignment, which is the criteria for using an option year.

In both instances, the canceled 2020 minor league season and the Rule 5 protection rules likely hurt their development. Not only did they lose valuable game reps, but they were fast-tracked to a major league call-up by being added to the 40-man roster.

The Giants did not have much of a choice here. It was either protect Luciano and Matos, or risk losing them in the Rule 5 draft. It is fair to be critical about how both players were handled after that, but the decision to protect them was not much of a choice at all. They felt they needed to protect their top prospects. Every team would have likely made the same choice.

Both players will enter next spring without any options, and without a defined role. If they do not make the team, then they will need to be placed on waivers. There is a chance that Luciano or Matos clear waivers and stick with the organization. However, a rebuilding team might be willing to take a flyer on either player, especially since both are still on the younger side.

Luciano spent the entire 2025 season with the Sacramento River Cats. It was a mixed bag that was trending in a positive direction until a nosedive in the final month of the year hurt his overall stat line.

The right-handed bat put up a .749 OPS with 23 home runs and 66 RBI in 555 plate appearances with Sacramento. This included a 15.3 percent walk rate and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate.

Luciano has slumped to a .590 OPS in 126 sporadic plate appearances with the Giants. He is new to left field, and while he there remains a learning curve, he did show some improvement as the year progressed.

On the other hand, Luis Matos has seen quite a bit more time in the majors. Across three seasons, he has posted a .650 OPS in 593 plate appearances.

Matos was recalled in August and put together a strong, two-week stretch, but the Giants were not seemingly convinced that he had turned the corner. He was relegated to the bench in September and finished the year in Sacramento.

The Giants have a decision to make on Matos and Luciano next spring. They may even need to make a decision sooner than that, as those 40-man roster spots are so valuable in the offseason. If neither player is in the plans for 2026, then it might be time to move on.